Friends Frequently Asked Questions 11/28/95 TEXT Version (C) 1994-1995 Andy J. Williams (AndyJW@dartmouth.edu) with a lot of help from the members of the Friends mailing list and newsgroup. Many additional comments included from Friends' Season 1 Supervising Producer Jeff Greenstein (his comments are indicated by "JG") and Friends' Senior Script Editor Alexa Junge (her comments are indicated by "AJ"). Please see question 1.11 for further information about our informants. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- This document's official home (where the latest version may always be found) is HTML Version: http://geminga.dartmouth.edu/~andyjw/friends/faq.html TEXT Version: ftp://ftp.dartmouth.edu/pub/friends/faq.txt It can also be found posted monthly in the newsgroup alt.tv.friends and the Friends Mailing List. This document may be copied provided no changes are made to it in any way. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Friends is a weekly 30 minute length sit-com airing on NBC. It premiered in September of 1994 and has been receiving good reviews and excellent ratings (#1 in summer reruns in 1995). It is the on-going story of a group of twenty-something friends who live in New York City. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Questions 1.0 Filming, Writing, and other Production Issues 1.01 When can I see Friends? 1.02 All about attending tapings 1.03 All about the episode titles 1.04 How far in advance are storylines planned? 1.05 How can I submit a script? 1.06 How is the stage set up? 1.07 All about the theme song 1.08 How did they tape the opening to "The One with the Boobies"? 1.09 What is the life-cycle of a typical show? 1.10 Was Marcel dancing or was that a tape loop? 1.11 All about our contacts at Friends 2.0 Character/Actor Information 2.01 All About the Main Characters 2.02 Supporting Cast & Guest Stars 2.03 Bios of the six main stars 2.04 Filmographies of six main stars 2.05 What does the cast think of all the fan stuff on the Internet? 2.06 How did they all meet? 2.07 All about Marcel 2.08 How do I write to the cast? 3.0 Plot Questions 3.01 Will Ross & Rachel ever get together? 3.02 Can Chandler get a Brian? 3.03 All about the Phoebe-Ursula Connection 3.04 Will we see Rachel's Parents? 3.05 Will there be a follow-up to the Joey-Phoebe Kiss from 'Two Parts'? 4.0 Miscellaneous Information 4.01 What are Friends Fans called? 4.02 What TV themes are they humming in "The One With the Dozen Lasagnes"? 4.03 What do W.E.N.U.S and A.N.U.S. stand for? 4.04 Why is there never a number six? 4.05 Why do people sign their names all smooshed together on the mailing list? 4.06 Where can I get copies of episodes on VHS? 5.0 Internet Information 5.01 The Friends Mailing List 5.02 The Friends Zone Mailing List 5.03 The Friends Media Mailing List 5.04 The Friends World Wide Web Pages 5.05 The Friends Newsgroup 5.06 The Friends ftp site 5.07 Friends on IRC 5.08 The Internet Ratings Service 5.09 How do I contact the cast and/or crew via the net? Change History of this document ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answers 1.0 Filming, Writing, and other Production Issues 1.01 When can I see Friends? Friends airs T(Eastern) on NBC. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.02 All about attending tapings Tickets for all television shows are free. For tickets in advance by mail, please send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the address below. Please specify the show that you would like to see. They will send you a max of four. Tickets are also available at the at Fox Television Center located at 5746 Sunset Boulevard, one block west of the 101 Hollywood freeway. Tickets become available starting on Wednesday for the following week. Ticket office hours are 8:30am - 6:00pm, Monday - Friday. The minimum age for Friends is 16 years old. They are sold out for this season but will send you seats for the first available show for next season. Taping resumes in July. This next bit may be wrong. I was recently informed that tickets no longer include a phone number. So, if yours don't then you probably don't need to call to confirm. Can anyone find out the truth of this matter? The bit in question: "It is very important to call to confirm your tickets. When the tickets arrive in the mail, there is a map with them, and on the back there is a phone number to call and tell them you are definitely planning to be there." Audiences Unltd. 100 Universal City Plaza, Bldg. 153 Universal City, CA 91608 (818) 506-0067 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.03 All about the episode titles The episode guide which lists all the titles and gives plot synopses is a separate document located at the Friends WWW Site and the Friends ftp site [see 5.0] As to why they all begin with "The One with..." ("TOW"): JG: "When Marta & David & Jeff & I did 'Dream On', we used to spend a lot of time thinking about titles, because they were on-screen at the top of each episode. On "Friends", we decided that was a waste of time. We figured, why not name each episode after the thing that people will ostensibly be talking about around the water-cooler the next day?" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.04 How far in advance are storylines planned? JG: "We knew there was going to be a Phoebe/Ursula story [See 4.3] from the get-go. In the case of Paolo, we started that "arc" without knowing exactly where or when it would end up -- the decision to have him make a pass at Phoebe [112] was actually arrived at pretty late in the game. However, an upcoming two-part arc involving Rachel, Barry [Rachel's ex-fiancé and Mindy [Rachel's Bridesmaid & Barry's girlfriend]] was conceived of all at once. "To answer your initial question, then... it varies. " ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.05 How can I submit a script? JG: "We only accept script submissions through agents. Sorry. That's the standard deal." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.06 How is the stage set up? This information may only pertain to first season. I am given to understand that this has changed for second season. JG: "There are two standing sets -- Monica and Rachel's apartment, which occupies the center of our stage, and the coffee house, which is stage right. Those stay up all the time, 'cause they're in every show. "Stage left is a space where we put our larger 'swing sets' (sets that are only needed for one episode). In any given week, that could be Chandler and Joey's apartment, Carol and Susan's apartment, or the fancy restaurant in 'Candy Hearts' [114]. "Those three sets face the audience. There's additional space for sets off to the side and behind -- if we have to build sets there, we feed the scene live to the audience on overhead monitors." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.07 All about the theme song? There was a great deal of debate over whether the first line was "So no one told you life was gonna be this way" or "So no one told you that was gonna be this way." Alexa Junge put the argument to rest with the following: AJ: "the lyric question is 'No one told you LIFE was going to be this way...' But it's not a dumb one - there was momentary debate even between Marta [Kauffman] and David [Crane] who didn't want to believe they wrote two consecutive lines with the word 'Life' in them. But they did." And there are only four claps. The Theme song is sung by the Rembrandts. An extended version can be found on their 1995 album "L.P." The music is by Michael Skloff and the lyrics by Allee Willis So no one told you life was gonna be this way [four claps] Your job's a joke, you're broke, your love life's D.O.A. It's like you're always stuck in second gear When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year but I'll be there for you (When the rain starts to pour) I'll be there for you (Like I've been there before) I'll be there for you ('Cause you're there for me too) Carl Sobeski (sobeski@lf.hp.com) figured out the following guitar chords: Fret Fret Fret A G C#m +---------+ +---------+ +---------+ 1 | | | 1 1 5th 1 | | | 1 1 3rd | 1 | | | 1 4th +---------+ +---------+ +---------+ | | | 2 | | | | | 2 | | | | | | 2 | +---------+ +---------+ +---------+ | 3 4 | | | | 3 4 | | | | | 3 4 | | Bm D E +---------+ +---------+ +---------+ | 1 | | | 1 2nd | 1 | | | | 5th | | | 1 | | 1st +---------+ +---------+ +---------+ | | | | 2 | | | | | | | | 2 3 | | | +---------+ +---------+ +---------+ | | 3 4 | | | | 3 3 3 | | | | | | | A G So no one told you life was gonna be this way A C#m Your job's a joke, you're broke, your love life's D.O.A. G Bm A It's like you're always stuck in second gear G D E And it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year A D E But, I'll be there for you (When the rain starts to pour) A D E I'll be there for you (Like I've been there before) A D E G A I'll be there for you ('Cause you're there for me too) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.08 How did they tape the opening to "The One with the Boobies"? The opening scene to "The One with the Boobies" [113] has Chandler walking in on a topless Rachel. Jennifer Aniston was not topless in front of the studio audience. The scene was pre-shot on a closed set (just the cameraman and director) and a cut-together version of the scene was shown to the audience on show night. (That's where the laughs came from.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.09 What is the life-cycle of the typical show? JG: * Brainstorming. Just the writers sitting around, throwing out ideas, seeing what strikes a chord. This takes four or five days, during which time we'll generate a dozen or so things that feel like stories. * Story-breaking. We take each story and break it down into individual scenes. This generally takes a day or two per story, depending on its scale. * Mix-'n'-match. This is often the toughest phase of the process -- picking from the bunch of stories we have, and seeing what goes with what. (The basic rule is three stories per episode.) We also have to make sure each of the six characters is serviced in each show, and that the stories jibe in terms of time sequence. This phase may also include some additional brainstorming and story-breaking as we try to fill in the gaps in each episode. For a typical episode, this would take another coupla days. * Outline. We divvy up the episodes and each writer goes off and does an outline. The producers give them notes on the outline, and then they're off to... * Write a first draft. Generally the writer has about a week to do this. The producers give them notes, and then they... * Write a second draft, which we then begin... * "Tabling". This is all the writers in a room, going through the script line by line, scene by scene, making it better. Punching up jokes, making sure the story is telling itself properly, etc. This takes about four (often very long) days, at the end of which we have a finished script we're all pretty happy with. Then a whole new phase begins: Production. * "Table read." This happens on a Wednesday around noon. The actors sit around a table with us and read through the script. This hopefully gives us some idea what's working and what's not. It's also a chance for the network, the studio and the director to give us whatever thoughts they have. Based on this, the writing staff spends the rest of the day and night doing a group rewrite. * Thursday run-through. After the actors have spent much of the morning and early afternoon working with the material, they run through the whole show for the writers and producers. This is our first chance to see the show "on its feet". Early notes are given to the actors on performances, we see if the changes we made Wednesday night are working, and then we spend Thursday evening rewriting the script *again* * Friday (network and studio) run-though. Again, we get a feel for what's working and what isn't. The network and studio contribute their thoughts. The director and cast may offer additional ideas. The dreaded Friday night rewrite ensues. * Monday camera blocking. The director runs through the show with the cast, figuring out what his or her shots are going to be, finalizing the actors' blocking, etc. There may be some marginal changes at this point if a particular joke just isn't getting there, but at this point the script is pretty much locked. * Tuesday night -- we shoot the damn thing! * Post-production. Cutting, recutting and mixing the show can take anywhere from a week to three weeks, depending on how close to the air date we are. * It's on TV! * You see it and post messages to the mailing list. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.10 Was Marcel dancing or was that a tape loop? One scene in "The One with all the Poker" [118] shows Marcel "dancing" to "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". JG: "It's a tape loop. Monkey's a very talented monkey, but she ain't no dancer." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.11 All about our contacts at Friends During the first season of the show, then-Supervising Producer Jeff Greenstein contacted the author of this FAQ and began a two-way dialogue about the show. Over time, an arrangement evolved in which the author would collect questions from the readers of the mailing list and newsgroup, send them on to Jeff who would in turn answer them and mail back his responses. Those "online interviews" have all been rolled into this FAQ. At the end of the first season, Jeff left Friends to work on his new sitcom "Partners" for FOX (starting Fall 1995 on Mondays at 9 PM Eastern) and Senior Script Editor Alexa Junge has taken over as our contact at the show under the same arrangement. Please note that the only communications the author of this FAQ will transmit are questions about the show itself. He cannot and will not send story ideas, scripts, pleas for autographs or anything else. That would jeapordize the relationship we net.fans have with the show. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.0 Character/Actor Information 2.01 All About the Main Characters David Schwimmer as Ross Geller Courteney Cox as Monica Geller Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Karen Green Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay The main characters are detailed here. Facts about them are followed by the episode from which the information was gleaned. See the episode guide. Ross Geller (David Schwimmer): Ross is Monica's brother. He has a Ph.D. as a paleontologist and works for a museum. [102]. His wife divorced him after she realised/decided that she was a lesbian [101]. Much of season one involved her pregnancy (discovered in episode 102). She finally gave birth to Ross' son Ben [123] and both she and her partner want Ross to be involved with the child to some degree. [103] and is somewhat shy. He has been madly in love with Rachel since the ninth grade. At the end of the first season, he gave up on Rachel and began seeing Julie, whom he knew in Grad School and re-met on a trip to China [110] who he had to send to zoo when he (the monkey) hit puberty. Ross must be either 28 or 29 based on the following clues: We know he is older than Monica and Rachel, and that he had a crush on Rachel in High School. This would mean that he is between 0 and 3 school years older than Rachel. Had he been born nine months before Monica, it is conceivable that they would have been the same grade, but this possibility is ruled out by "George Stephanopoulos," [104] aired on 10/13/94, in which he states that his birthday was "seven months ago," in around March] On the other hand, "Candy Hearts" [114] establishes that he hadn't dated in 9 years (since early '86) and "George Stephanopoulos" [104] indicates that he was married for 7 years (since late '87). Chandler states in "Rachel Finds Out," [124] that Ross fell for Carol in college, making Ross' high school graduation in '85 at the latest. Combined, this tells us that Ross must be either 28 or 29 (2 or 3 years older than Monica/Rachel). Note that this would seem to indicate that Ross got married while still an undergraduate. Monica Geller (Courteney Cox): Monica is Ross' sister. She was a cook at a trendy restaurant, Iridium, on 65th and Broadway [101] until she was fired for accepting a kickback against restaurant policy [205]. She rents the apartment where much of the show's action takes place. Considering her job, it is quite an amazing apartment (JG suggests that it might be an illegal sublet, see question 2.06. She cannot seem to get her mother to approve of her at all [102], [101]. If she doesn't, for once her friends love him [103]. And, just once, he turned out to be way too young [122]. Go figure. The others consider her to be very bossy, anal-retentive and controlling. Monica is, as of the end of the first season, 26. In "Ick Factor," [122] she clearly states that she is 26, and in fact "25 and 13 months." Given the air date of 05/04/95, this would put her birthdate in 04/69. However, in "Blackout," [107] which was aired on 11/03/94, Joey convinces Monica that Ross is planning a surprise birthday party for her. Given her reaction, it would appear that her birthdate is in late '68. It is difficult to reconcile these unless Ross is habitual in planning birthday parties five months in advance. Nevertheless, it is clear that Monica was born in late '68 or early '69, which is important in fixing Rachel's age (see below). Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry): Chandler is a data processor who, in the first season, recevied a hefty promotion [115] in some office somewhere. He himself didn't care much for his job [101] but found that changing [115]. Many women in college thought he was gay [203] (much to his chagrin). Chandler has a very hard time both asking women [106] out as well as breaking up with them [105]. He seemed to keep getting stuck with the horrid Janice [110], [115] until, thankfully, she got married and pregnant [203]. His mother writes romance novels and embarasses Chandler greatly [111]. He used to smoke [103]. He lives with Joey across the hall from Monica and Rachel. As for Chandler's age, we only know that he knew Ross in college before Ross fell for Carol, he would therefore appear to be either Ross' age, slightly older or possibly one year younger. We also know that he's been at the same company for five years, as of "Stoned Guy" [115]. If we assume that he took the 'temp' job right out of college, it places his college graduation in '89 and fixes his age at 28. Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc): Joey is an aspiring actor who continually gets rather pathetic roles. These include Pinocchio in a children's production [101] as well as Sigmund Freud in a musical of Freud's life [106]. He was also the poster boy for VD [109]. His breakthourgh role (which he messed up) was as Al Pacino's Butt Double in a movie [106]. He lives with Chandler in the apartment across the hall from Monica and Rachel. Joey is 25. In "Birth" [123], he apparently states his age as 25 (we don't actually hear the question). This is consistant with "Butt," [106] in which he states that he's been acting for 6 years, assuming that he took up acting soon after high school. Rachel Karen Green (Jennifer Aniston): Rachel is very much a suburbs woman who, until the start of the series, has never held a job and has always lived off daddy's money [101]. At the start of the show she had just left Barry, her husband-to-be on the altar and ran to the only friend she could think of, Monica [101]. She is just beginning to get into the groove of living in the big city and then fell head over heels for Paolo, an Italian man who could barely speak English [107]. She dumped him when he made a pass at Phoebe [112]. For all of the first season, she was oblivious to Ross' crush on her. At the end of the season Chandler let it slip and she decided to go for it. However, by that time Ross had found a new girlfriend. When she got drunk and told Ross that she was over him, he decided to leave Julie for her. However, a list of negative things about her (Rachel) that he was using as part of his decision between her and Julie upset her too much to forgive him and she turned away from him. She lives with Monica and works at Central Perk, the coffee house [101]. She celebrates her birthday in "Rachel Finds Out" [124]. It has been clearly established that she and Monica were high school classmates, meaning that she turned 26 on 05/18/95. And that they both graduated high school in '87. Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow): Phoebe is way out in left field somewhere much of the time. Often the source of strange looks and shrugs from the others, Phoebe left home early in life after her mother committed suicide and moved to the city where her albino male roommate committed suicide [101]. She got her act together when she discovered aroma-therapy [101]. She is a masseuse [112] and also sings at Central Perk mostly about death and sometimes uses her spiritual abilities to cleanse auras [101] and read thoughts of people. She has a friend who was reincarnated as a pencil [108]. She lives with her grandmother [104]. She has a sister who is a waitress [102] but they do not get along [116] - [117]. Her birthday is celebrated in "Two Parts Part 2" [117], aired on 02/23/95. The author asked Jeff Greenstein if this meant that her birthday was the same as the author's (2/23) Jeff responded that yes, her birthday is indeed February 23rd. (Yeah, I know that was self-serving but why not? :-) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.02 Supporting Cast & Guest Stars Hank Azaria...................David [112] Anita Barone..................Carol [101] - [108] Joel Beeson..................."Hombre Guy" [202] Corrine Bhorer................Joey's Girlfriend [124] Tommy Blaise..................Carl [124] Michael Ray Bower.............Roy Gublick [214] Spencer Cherashore............A Waiter [205] Jill Connick..................Jill Goodacre [107] George Clooney................Dr. Mitchell [117] Robert Costanzo...............Joey Tribbiani, Sr, [113] Morgan Fairchild..............Nora Tyler Bing [111] Stuart Fratkin................Lowell [108] Cosimo Fusco..................Paolo [112], [201] June Gable....................Estelle Leonard [210] Lee Garlington................Ronnie [113] Candice Gingrich..............The Minister [211] Elliott Gould.................Jack Geller [102] through Jennifer Grant................(Woman Chandler had to fire) [116] [117] Jennifer Grey.................Mindy [120] Michael G. Hagerty............Mr. Treeger [209] Larry Hankin..................Mr. Heckles [???] through [203] Jessica Hecht.................Susan [102] through Helen Hunt....................Jamie Buchman [116] [117] Chrissie Hynde................the new singer at Central Perk [206] Leila Kenzle..................Fran [116] [117] Patrick Kerr..................The Manager [214] Stan Kirsch...................Ethan [122] Phil Leeds....................Mr. Adleman [211] Jay Leno......................himself [111] Audra Lindley.................Frances [209] Jon Lovitz....................Steve [115] Michael McKean................Mr. Ratstatter [208] Christina Pickles.............Judy Geller [102] through Brittany Powel................Jade [205] Emily Proctor.................Annabel [202] Victor Raider-Wexler..........A Doctor [206] Jane Sibbett..................Carol [109] through Harry Shearer.................Dr. Baldharar [121] Claudia Shears................'Fake Monica' [121] Jonathon Silverman............Carol's Obstetrician [123] Fisher Stevens................Roger [113] Marlo Thomas..................Sandra Green [211] Lauren Tom....................Julie [124] through [208] Brenda Vaccaro................Gloria Tribbiani [113] Vincent Ventresca.............Fun Bobby [110], [210] Maggie Wheeler................Janice [105] [110] [114] [203] Mitchell Whitfield............Barry [102] [120] Max Wright....................Terry [206] Noah Wyle.....................Dr. Rosen [117] Steve Zahn....................Duncan [204] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.03 Bios of the six main stars Biographies of the main cast are by Ken Gidley (gidley@mtv.gtegsc.com) Jennifer Aniston Jennifer Aniston, who plays Rachel on Friends, was born in CA (the Valley, so yes she's a Val!), and raised mostly in New York. Her father, John Aniston, is an actor on "Days of Our Lives", so young Jennifer was around acting from an early age. Her godfather was Telly Savalas. Jennifer has Greek ancestors, and actually spent some time in Greece as a child, before settling in New York because of her father's acting career (specifically he landed a role on "Love of Life"). She first acted at around age 11, as part of the Rudolf Steiner School's drama club. Jennifer says that she was always interested in acting, but it Rudolf Steiner's free-spirited atmosphere that encouraged her to make it her career. Jennifer started her professional training at New York's High School for the Performing Arts as a drama student. She graduated in 1987 (she is 26). She appeared in Off-Broadway productions of "For Dear Life" and "Dancing on Checker's Grave", before her first TV role on "Molloy". Other TV shows graced with her presence include "The Edge", "Ferris Bueller" (the TV version), a recurring role on "Herman's Head", and even some guest appearances on "Quantum Leap" and "Burke's Law". Jennifer is also an artist. At age 11 (busy year), one of her paintings was selected for display in the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. She still spends much time on art projects, including charcoal drawings, clay sculptures, and paintings. Jennifer was born on February 11, 1969. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, camping, and getting closer to nature. She currently lives in Los Angeles. Additional Information Additional information provided by Kim Clark (clark003@coyote.csusm.edu) "January 13, 1995 Blade-Citizen Preview, page 3. "Jennifer Aniston having fun with NBC's 'Friends.' Written by Cheryl Lavin, Tribune Media. Vital statistics on Jennifer Aniston: o Occupation: Actress o Birthday: Feb. 11 o Birthplace: Sherman Oaks and raised in NYC o Current home: LA o Marital status: single o Working on: "Friends," on NBC-TV o The last good movie I saw was: Quiz show o I stay home to watch: Seinfeld, Mad About You, and ER o The book I've been reading is: The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield o Favorite pigout food: Give me a giant bowl of tortilla chips, salsa and guacamole and forget it. o Prized possession: My dog Katchina. She's a mix, a golden shepherd. o Personal heroes: Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett. o Every New Year's I resolve: to be completely healthy, especially inwardly. o Nobody know's I'm: Greek o I wish I could stop: The violence in this country. o I've never been able to: Get back to my art work. I draw, paint and sculpt. o I'm better than anyone else when it comes to: Putting on makeup. o I'd give anything to meet: Barbra Streisand. She's a strong chick. o My fantasy is: I get on a plane, fly to San Francisco, see a show, have a great dinner and fly back. o The one thing I can't stand is: People who are overly protective of me. I want them to trust my judgment. o If I could change one thing about myself, I would: Finish the things I start. o People who knew me in high school thought I was: Bitchy. o I knew I was a grown-up when I: Forgave my parents. o The price I've paid for my success: A lot of hurt and rejection. o If I weren't an actress, I'd be: A therapist. o Major accomplishment: Getting my career started. o My most humbling experience: Every time I'm with my family; they ground me. o Three words that best describe me: Curious, caring and fun. Lisa Kudrow Lisa Kudrow was born on July 30, 1963 in Encino, California, (Yes, she too is a Valley girl! Oh-My-God) and was raised Tarzana, CA. She attended Vassar College in New York and graduated with a B.S. in Biology. She planned to follow in her father's footsteps (a famous headache expert) and moved back to L.A. to do medical research. She would most likely be doing research now, if not for the encouragement/inspiration of her brother's friend, Jon Lovitz (of Saturday Night Live fame). Lisa tried out for The Groundlings, a famous improvisational theater group in L.A., but was initially rejected due to her lack of experience. She was referred to a well-known comedy instructor, Cynthia Szigeti, to learn the improvisational trade. While attending this training, she met and became friends with Conan O'Brien, an unknown at the time. In 1989 she went back to The Groundlings and was accepted as a member of the troop, thus fulfilling her dream of being a writer/performer. In addition to Phoebe on "Friends", Lisa has played other roles on TV including Ursula, the ditzy waitress, on "Mad About You"; a recurring role on "Bob"; and guest appearences on "Cheers", "Coach", "Newhart", and "Flying Blind". Lisa spends her free time performing with the improv group Transformers and with The Groundlings, where she also teaches. She also played tennis in high school and college, and is known as a pool shark. She apparently grew up with a pool table and has mastered many different trick shots. Courteney Cox Courteney Cox, who as we all know plays Monica Geller on "Friends", is originally from Birmingham, Alabama. She moved to New York City after graduating from high school and did some time with the Ford modeling agency, where she appeared in such glamorous roles as TV commercials for Noxema, Maybelline, and even the New York phone company. Courteney made her acting debut in 1984 on the daytime soap "As the World Turns", and later that same year, she was in Bruce Springsteen's video for "Dancing in the Dark" (she was the girl pulled from the audience to dance with 'The Boss'). Her most familiar TV series role was as Michael J. Fox's (or rather Alex P. Keaton's) girlfriend Lauren on "Family Ties". Her other TV appearances include being a regular on "Misfits of Science" & "The Trouble with Larry", guest-starring appearances on "Murder, She Wrote", "Seinfeld" (where she played Jerry's pretend wife), and HBO's "Dream On", several TV movies including "Prize Pulitzer", "Battling for Baby", and "Curiosity Kills", and even a mini-series, Judith Krantz's "Till We Meet Again". Courteney has appeared in several movies, including the wildly successful "Ace Ventura: Pet Dectective" with Jim Carrey, and some not as successful films including "Down Twisted", "Masters of the Universe", "Cocoon: The Return", "Shaking the Tree", "Mr. Destiny", "The Opposite Sex and How to Live with Them", and "Blue Desert". Her stage work includes "King of Hearts" at the Tiffany Theatre in L.A., where she starred with Michael Spound. When Courteney is not working (and it doesn't seem like there's much of that), she enjoys decorating and remodeling homes. Her birthday is June 15, 1964, and she lives in Los Angeles. Courteney has been dating Michael Keaton (of "Batman" fame; not to be confused with the character Alex P. Keaton played by Michael J. Fox) for a couple of years. David Schwimmer Coming Soon... Matthew Perry Coming Soon... Matt LeBlanc Matt LeBlanc (aka Joey Tribbiani on "Friends"), at age 8, enjoyed a brief career as an amateur motorcycle racer with aspirations of becoming a pro. However, his mother put the kibosh on that and redirected his talents elsewhere. Matt was trained in carpentry and tried to do it with an artistic flair. After high school graduation, Matt travelled to New York City to make his fortune. By 1987 he had appeared in several national TV commercials, including ones for Levi's 501s, Coca-Cola, and Doritos. He appeared in a Heinz catsup ad that won the1987 Cannes Film Festival's Gold Lion Award. Matt began formal acting training in 1988 and within a year found work as one of the stars of the TV series "TV 101". He moved to L.A. and subsequently has appeared in several TV series ("Top of the Heap", "Vinnie & Bobby"), the TV movie "Anything to Survive" (with Robert Conrad), and a guest appearance on cable's "Red Shoe Diaries". Matt appeared in his first feature film in 1994, a movie entitled "Lookin' Italian" He is also scheduled to star in the last installment of "Rebel Highway", a series of remakes of famous 'teen angst' movies shown on cable. Over the last 10 years, Matt has developed a passion for photographing landscapes which has taken him to various parts of the world including Amsterdam, Switzerland, Germany, & Vancouver, as well as to many places in the U.S. Matt's birthday is July 25, 1967. He currently lives in L.A., with one of the first friends he made after arriving in Los Angeles: his dog Lady. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.04 Filmographies of the six main stars Filmographies are from The Internet Movie Database at http://www.msstate.edu/Movies/ If you know of a part one of the six main characters played that is not listed here, you should update the Internet Movie database since it is the source for this FAQ's information regarding their filmographies! Jennifer Aniston (From The Internet Movie Database: http://www.msstate.edu/M/person-exact?+Aniston,+Jennifer) 1. "Friends" (1994) 1994 [Rachel] 2. "Muddling Through" 1994 [Madeleine Drego] 3. Leprechaun 1993 [Tory] 4. "Edge, The" 1992 5. "Ferris Bueller" (TV Series) 1990 [Jeannie Bueller] [Note, this is the TV Show, not the movie!] 6. "Molloy" 1990 [Courtney] 7. Camp Cucamonga (TV) 1990 [Ava] Note titles in quotes (") are TV series Please note that we are referring to "Ferris Beuller" the short lived TV series, not the motion picture. In the movie, Jennifer Grey played Jeannie. Lisa Kudrow (From The Internet Movie Database: http://www.msstate.edu/M/person-exact?+Kudrow,+Lisa) 1. "Friends" (1994) 1994 [Phoebe] 2. "Mad About You" 1992 [Ursula] 3. In the Heat of Passion 1992 4. Unborn, The 1991 [Louisa] 5. "Newhart" (Year & Character unknown, it was one episode) 6. "Coach" (Year & Character unknown, it was one episode) 7. "Cheers" (11/23/89) [Emily] Note titles in quotes (") are TV series Courteney Cox (From The Internet Movie Database: http://www.msstate.edu/M/person-exact?+Cox,+Courteney) 1. Sketch Artist II: Hands that See (1995) (TV)[Emmy] (actress) 2. "Friends" (1994) 1994 [Monica Geller] (actress) 3. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)[Melissa] (actress) 4. "Trouble with Larry, The" (1993) 1993 [Gabriella] (actress) 5. Battling for Baby (1992) (TV) 1992 [Katherine] (actress) 6. Opposite Sex and How to Live with Them, The (1992)[Carrie Davenport] (actress) 7. Blue Desert (1991) 1991 [Lisa Roberts] (actress) 8. Curiosity Kills (1990) (TV) 1990 [Gwen] (actress) 9. Mr. Destiny (1990)[Jewel Jagger] (actress) 10. Shaking the Tree (1990)[Kathleen] (actress) 11. Roxanne: The Prize Pulitzer (1989) (TV) 1989 [Jacquie Kimberly] (actress) 12. Till We Meet Again (1989) (TV)[Freddy] (actress) 13. Cocoon: The Return (1988) 1988 [Sara] (actress) 14. I'll Be Home for Christmas (1988) (TV) (actress) 15. Down Twisted (1987) 1987 (actress) 16. If It's Tuesday, It Still Must Be Belgium (1987) (TV)[Hana Wyshocki] (actress) 17. Masters of the Universe (1987)[Julie Winston] (actress) 18. "Misfits of Science" (1985) 1985-1986 [Gloria Dinallo] (actress) 19. Misfits of Science (1985) (TV) 1985 (actress) 20. "Family Ties" (1982) 1982-1989 [Lauren] (actress) Note titles in quotes (") are TV series David Schwimmer (From The Internet Movie Database: http://www.msstate.edu/M/person-exact?+Schwimmer,+David) 1. "Friends" (1994) 1994 [Ross] 2. "Monty" 1994 [Greg Richardson] 3. Wolf (1993) 1993 [A Cop] 4. "NYPD Blue" 1993 [4B] 5. Twenty Bucks 1993 [Neil Campbell] 6. Crossing the Bridge 1992 [John Anderson] 7. Flight of the Intruder 1990 [Duty Officer] 8. "The Wonder Years" 19?? [Michael] Note titles in quotes (") are TV series Matthew Perry (From The Internet Movie Database: http://www.msstate.edu/M/person-exact?+Perry,+Matthew) 1. "Dream On" (1995) 1995 [Character unknown] 2. "John Louroquette Show" (1995) 1995 [Victim of that weird cop] 3. "Friends" (1994-1995) 1994-1995 [Chandler] 4. "Home Free" 1993- [Matt Bailey] 5. Deadly Relations (TV) 1993 6. "Beverly Hills, 90210" 1991 [Roger] 7. "Sydney" 1990 [Billy Kells] 8. She's Out of Control 1989 [Timothy] 9. Dance 'Til Dawn (TV) 1988 10. "Second Chance" 1987-88 [Chazz Russell] (The show's name was changed to "Boys Will Be Boys" in Jan '88) 11. "Charles In Charge" Dates unknown 12. "Growing Pains" Dates unknown [Sandy] Note titles in quotes (") are TV series Matt LeBlanc (From The Internet Movie Database: http://www.msstate.edu/M/person-exact?+LeBlanc,+Matt) 1. "Friends" (1994) 1994 [Joey] 2. Lookin' Italian 1994 [Anthony Manetti] 3. "Top of the Heap" 1991 [Vinnie Verducci] 4. "Married With Children" [Vinnie Verducci] 5. Anything to Survive (TV) 1990 [Billy Barton] 6. "TV 101" 1988-89 [Chuck Berder] Note titles in quotes (") are TV series ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.05 What does the cast think of all the fan stuff on the Internet? JG: "I'm the most Netaholic member of the Friends family, though several of the other writers and producers also read the mailing list, as do a few people from Warner Brothers. If I come across anything especially amusing or provocative, I tack it on the bulletin board next to the writers' room. "For example, somebody recently quoted a line from Mad About You in which Ursula mentioned her brother. Well, if Ursula has a brother, so does Phoebe, and we writers need to be aware of that. "There was also a post on the newsgroup which confidently asserted that the character of Carol, the pregnant lesbian ex-wife, was 'based on Friends Executive Producer Marta Kauffman.' Marta really got a kick out of that one, as did her husband and two kids. "I don't think any of the cast members are wired as of yet, though I did circulate the Drinking Game to them. They loved it, and expressed amazement that people knew the show that well." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.06 How did they all meet? JG: "O.K., here's the quasi-definitive answer as I know it, as we writer folk have discussed it over the course of the season... "In the pilot, we established that Monica, Rachel and Ross all went to Lincoln High School together. Monica was fat; Rachel was popular and possibly bitchy; Ross was a nerd. Rachel says that she and Monica were close, but in the time since, they've drifted -- enough so that Rachel didn't think to invite Monica to her wedding. "We also established that Ross had a crush on Rachel back then; she knew this, but thought of him as 'Monica's geeky older brother.' "During the making of 'The One Where Nana Dies Twice' [108], Schwimmer and Perry wondered if Chandler and Ross might have gone to college together. We writers agreed that it might be nice for two of our other characters to have a history together, so we wrote it in. "Therefore, my guess is that when Monica graduated college and was looking for an apartment, Chandler (who was living with his first roommate Kip -- the one Joey is jealous of in 'Dozen Lasagnas' [112]) alerted her to the fact that an apartment was opening up across the hall from him. Monica found Phoebe through a roommate-matching service and moved in. "One of the ways we've justified -- to ourselves, at least -- this amazing place Monica lives in (on an assistant chef's salary!) is that it's probably an illegal sublet. Several plot lines revolving around this fact were discussed over the course of the season, but never amounted to anything. "Anywaaaaaay... When Kip got married, he moved out and Joey (who Chandler probably also met through a roommate-matching service, or by putting up flyers at the laundromat) moved in. Around the same time, Phoebe's grandmother needed some kind of taking care of, so Phoebe moved out of Monica's to live with her. This is another element we talked about a lot over the course of the season, but it never found its way into a story. "As for the timing of the events surrounding Ross's divorce, that's something we've consciously avoided getting into. The more you think about it, the more troublesome it becomes: Was Carol already involved with Susan when Ross got her pregnant? We invite viewers to figure this one out for themselves..." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.07 All about Marcel JG: "Marcel is actually played by two female monkeys named Monkey and Katie. Both appear in 'Outbreak' and have made several appearances in television shows, movies and commercials over the past few years. "In fact, when we were initially casting Marcel, we were told that no capuchins were available because all of them were in Malta shooting 'Outbreak.'" [See also 1.10] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.08 How do I write to the cast? When the show is in production, mail to the cast gets delivered right to the set. Now that they are on hiatus, the letters will go the their respective publicists. Things may change if the flow of mail gets to be a flood, but for now you can send your correspondence to: "Cast Member's Name" Warner Bros. Studio 300 South TV Plaza Build. 136, Rm 226 Burbank, CA 91505 [See also 5.07] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.0 Plot Questions This next section may contain spoilers if you have not seen every episode to present. I will avoid posting anything I learn about future episodes unless it really can't be helped. And even if I do I will post spoiler warnings. Either way, to be safe, you should read this only if you are sure you don't mind knowing. Some things may be spoilers to you and not to others. In short: you have been warned. 3.01 Will Ross & Rachel ever get together? At this point it's anybody's guess. First he wanted her then she wanted him and then, for one brief moment they wanted each other. Now she's mad at him and they are apart. Since I have not heard any news about anything after Thanksgiving, you'll just have to check this FAQ again in the coming weeks for the answer (rather, mindless speculation) on this point. Vague enough for ya? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.02 Can Chandler get a Brian? As one mailing list member put it "Does he want a Brian?" This question refers to episode [108] where one of Chandler's co-workers mistakes him for being gay while trying to fix him up with someone at work. Chandler asks this co-worker who she was going to fix him up with and it is someone he isn't very impressed with. He asks why she couldn't have fixed him up with someone like Brian? She says that Brian is out of his league. Ultimately, we have seen and heard enough to be pretty sure that Chandler is not at all gay. So, even though he insists he can get a Brian, he doesn't really want one. JG: "Oh, come on. Chandler's not gay. Though back in college, there were a lot of girls who thought he was..." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.03 All about the Phoebe-Ursula Connection Simple: They are twin sisters born on February 23 (year unknown). Lisa Kudrow plays both Phoebe on Friends as well as Ursula on Mad About You. Both characters are similar in their air-headed nature (though Phoebe is far more developed owing to it being a larger role than Ursula). JG: "The Phoebe/Ursula thing (which precipitated the Helen Hunt/Leila Kenzle [crossover from Mad About You]) was necessitated by the fact that Lisa Kudrow was playing two different roles on back-to-back sitcoms. Rather than just pretend Mad About You didn't exist, it was decided to make Phoebe Ursula's twin sister, and deal with the issue head-on in the 2/23 episode. [116], [117] " Finally, in response to whether we will see Ursula again... JG: "We've kind of already done that bit. But when we did 'The One with Two Parts', we didn't even know that Ursula and Phoebe had a brother -- we were belatedly informed of this by, yes, you folks on the 'Net. So who knows?" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.04 Will we see Rachel's Parents? JG: "Well, not [in the first] season, but probably sometime in the future. There was originally a subplot involving Rachel and her dad in 'The One Where Underdog Gets Away' [109], but we re-thunk it. "Note that Rachel's dad has been an offscreen presence in the pilot (she's on the phone with him, trying to justify her decision to leave Barry), 'The One with the East German Laundry Detergent' [105] (he offered her a Mercedes, saying she'd never make it on her own), and sort of in 'The One Where Underdog Gets Away' [109] (she's going on a ski vacation with her family)." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.05 Will there be a follow-up to the Joey-Phoebe Kiss from 'Two Parts'? JG: "Probably not. We were actually quite surprised that people thought we were opening up the possibility of a Joey/Phoebe romantic thing with that kiss. To us, it was a wonderful one-time thing between two friends who care about each other very much." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.0 Miscellaneous Questions 4.01 What are Friends fans called? Collectively we are "The Friends Zone". Normal fans are "Crapweasels" and the really rabid fans are "Frienatics". Yes, we have too much free time on our hands. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.02 What TV themes are they humming in "The One With the Dozen Lasagnes"? At the beginning of [112] they were singing "The Odd Couple" and the beginning of "I Dream of Jeannie." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.03 What do W.E.N.U.S and A.N.U.S. stand for? W.E.N.U.S. = Weekly Estimated Net Usage Statistics A.N.U.S = Annual Net Usage Statistics JG: "As written in 'Stoned Guy' [115], it was 'Weekly Estimated Net Usage Statistics'. Matthew said 'Systems' instead of 'Statistics', but we decided to let it go because basically the joke was over as soon as he said the word 'WEENUS'. "Then, when we did the WEENUS/ANUS call-back in 'Two Parts' [116 & 117], we decided to go back to 'Statistics' 'cause it makes more sense -- knowing full well that sharp-eared 'Netters would probably catch us at it." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.04 Why is there never a number six? 1. Often on lists sent to the Friends mailing lists you will notice that number six is missing. 2. Sometimes it is there but it has some quip like "there is no number six" or somesuch. 3. The origins of this practice come from Monty Python's Flying Circus. 4. Specifically, the Bruce's Sketch. 5. Their list never had a number six. 6. There is no number six. 7. I (Andy) started using this years ago and it became habit. 8. Other people on the list picked it up. 9. To date, the only person who has used a number six (that I know of) is Jeff Greenstein. 10. Is that a sign? 11. :-) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.05 Why do people sign their names all smooshed together on the mailing list? Darcy Partridge, (DARCY_PARTRIDGE@NOVELL.COM) writes: "Well, I can't say I'm the first to ever use smooshed-together middle names to express my mood or attitude, but I was the first person to habitually do it on the Friends list. After a while, it caught on. Other people started doing it and saying "Sorry, Darcy... didn't want to steal your trademark." I said they could all do it as much as they liked.... and that it may be the only trend I ever set anywhere." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.06 Where can I get copies of episodes on VHS? Unless you tape them yourself, you're out of luck. Some people have tried to make trades on the mailing list and/or newsgroup but this is illegal and you are on your own. The official word is Don't Do It. As a postscript to the above, Andy cannot, via his contacts at the show, get you copies nor can he make you copies of his collection (which is, ironically, incomplete anyway!). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.0 Friends Internet Resources 5.01 The Friends Mailing List There is a mailing list at Dartmouth for Friends. You can subscribe to it by sending a message as follows: To: listserv@dartmouth.edu Subject: Irrelevent, can be left blank Body of message: subscribe friends firstname lastname (obviously, substitute your first and last name for "firstname" and "lastname" above.) There is a help file for this mailing list at ftp://ftp.dartmouth.edu/pub/friends/mailing-lists.txt http://geminga.dartmouth.edu/~andyjw/friends/mailing-lists.txt ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.02 The Friends Zone Mailing List There is a mailing list at Dartmouth for The Friends Zone. This list is for discussion of the Friends Zone, a virtual community created by fans of the show. (The Friends Zone will soon have an FAQ. Watch the WWW and ftp sites.) You can subscribe to it by sending a message as follows: To: listserv@dartmouth.edu Subject: Irrelevent, can be left blank Body of message: subscribe friendsz firstname lastname (obviously, substitute your first and last name for "firstname" and "lastname" above.) There is a help file for this mailing list at ftp://ftp.dartmouth.edu/pub/friends/mailing-lists.txt http://geminga.dartmouth.edu/~andyjw/friends/mailing-lists.txt ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.03 The Friends Media Mailing List The Friends Media List is a weekly newsletter which is distributed Monday evenings (with the exception of 'hot' information which is sent out when received). It consists of information compiled on cast appearances, articles, and anything fun and exciting on the NBC sit-com 'Friends'. To subscribe, please send a message to Carolyn Gregersen as follows: To: CGregers@metrolink.net Subject: Friends Media List Body of Message: subscribe Media List firstname lastname (Obviously, substitute your first and last name for "firstname" and "lastname" above.) NOTE: You will receive a confirmation that you are subscribed within 24 hours. If you do not receive this, please send a note to Carolyn to verify the status. To unsubscribe, please send a message to Carolyn Gregersen as follows: To: CGregers@metrolink.net Subject: Friends Media List Body of Message: unsubscribe Media List firstname lastname (Obviously, substitute your first and last name for "firstname" and "lastname" above.) There is an FAQ for this mailing list at http://geminga.dartmouth.edu/~andyjw/friends/media-list.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.04 The Friends WWW Pages The official home of the Friends FAQ and Episode Guide is at Dartmouth College at: http://geminga.dartmouth.edu/~andyjw/friends/ There are a great many sites that seem to appear almost daily. Rather than list them all here, I refer the reader to Yahoo's section on the TV-Show Friends: http://www.yahoo.com/Entertainment/Television/Shows/Comedies/Friends/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.05 The Friends Newsgroup Friends fans have their own newsgroup at alt.tv.friends. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.06 The Friends ftp site The official Friends ftp site is ftp://ftp.dartmouth.edu/pub/friends Included at this site are the text versions of all official and unofficial documents (the FAQ, The Episode Guide, Drinking Game, etc.), some pictures, and the official sound clips collection maintained by Larry Trujillo (ltrujillo@CCTR.UMKC.EDU). There is also a mirror site at ftp://ftp.cyberenet.net/home/cmathis ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.07 Friends Discussions on IRC There is are two channels Frienatics have been seen chatting: "#centperk" and "#bigcouch". There is no regular schedule of which this author is aware. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.08 The Internet Ratings Service The Internet Ratings Services is now defunct. I am leaving this entry in the FAQ in case it reappears, which I hope it does. The internet ratings service is available via email and via the World Wide Web. Subscriptions are available only to residents of the United States with email access. Each day, subscribers are sent schedules of the previous night's network selections which they send back indicating which shows they watched or taped with the intention of watching. Each week, you will receive a listing of the results of the previous week's ratings. The ratings results are non-scientific and are basically conducted for two reasons: because Nielson won't allow ratings results to be posted on the internet and becaue it's fun! To subscribe to this service, write to Jol E. Padgett at jpadgett@cais.cais.com with the body of the message reading "SUBSCRIBE RATINGS" You can also write to Jol to receive a FAQ and any other information you might need regarding the service. To view the World Wide Web version, point your favorite Web broswer at http://www.cais.com/jpadgett/www/ratings/ratings.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.09 How do I contact the cast and/or crew via the net? You don't. None of the cast have eMail addresses. There has been a lot of talk in the past that people have made net.sightings of cast members on services like America Online, etc. These are just posers or people who actually have the same names. According to JG, none of the cast has eMail addresses. He should know. As for crew, please see question 1.11. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Change History of this document * 11/28/95 -- Added guest cast through 2/1/96 and other minor edits. Next batch of Q&As should be in the December version. Sit tight. * 10/26/95 -- Fixed massive quantities of HTML bugs (Thanks to Netscape 2.0b2 being more Monica-ish about these things) and added the information about the ages and other fun stuff. * 09/25/95 -- Updated for the start of season two. * 08/23/95 -- Oh you know, the usual updates, corrections. Added the fact that Carol had the baby and some stuff about irc and web sites. * 07/24/95 -- Added some more guest appearances, a note about JG and AJ and a penguin * 06/22/95 -- Added the final answer to the lyrics question and some details about guest appearances. * 05/23/95 -- Dropped questions that have been answered by the show itself (ie, will the baby be born this season?) Minor updates to filmographies and supporting cast list. * 04/01/95 -- Added Interview #2 with Jeff Greenstien; re-numbered/re-structured everything. * 03/01/95 -- Updated the airing time to reflect NBCs schedule change. * 02/20/95 -- Rolled in the first Interview with Jeff Greenstein; Added HyperText Links for all show references to the episode guide; moved changes to the end. * 02/01/95 -- Added supporting cast/guest stars info * 01/31/95 -- Fixed Character descriptions, theme lyrics, tix info, filmographies, spellings * 01/30/95 -- Moved to new server, updated links, added newsgroup credit. * 01/21/95 -- Added filmographies, updated bios, new bios, and fan info. * 01/17/95 -- Added ftp, USENET News, guitar chords, Ursula/Phoebe, and fans information. * 01/14/95 -- Re-numbered questions to make this more organized and easier to expand in the future. * 01/13/95 -- Added a lot of changes as provided by the mailing list folk.